Electionista Expert: Julie Mason Answers Your Election Questions!

"If the people are supposed to be the ones who elect the president, then why did Hillary get the popular vote yet she didnt win the primary?" - Caitlin, 13, Clinton, MO

Great question, Caitlin! It's true we learn in school that the people elect the president - but the details can get complicated really fast. By some tallies, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, but that's not exactly clear. For example, Clinton was counting the votes she got in Michigan, but Barack Obama pulled his name from the Michigan ballot after the state broke Democratic Party rules by rescheduling their primary too early. So there was some question about whether those Michigan votes were really valid! And anyway, it's not even votes that determine the presidential nominee - it's delegates! When a candidate for president wins a state in the primaries, they win a certain number of delegates. The delegates are voters who go to the national convention and approve the party's nominee. This year, Obama picked up way more delegates than Clinton, so that's why he was the nominee!

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